Smith's Knightly News
OCTOBER 7, 2023
Smith Middle School
Mission: The purpose of Smith Middle School is to ensure learning for all members of our school community.
Vision: Smith will be a safe environment where diversity is embraced, and the needs of the whole child are met through innovation and collaboration. With the resources available, the Smith community will strive to provide an engaging, challenging academic experience, while promoting a balance between emotional, academic, and social needs, contributing to the success of all students.
Email: rbrinks@troy.k12.mi.us
Website: https://smith.troy.k12.mi.us/
Location: 5835 Donaldson Drive, Troy, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 823- 4700
THE COLOR RUN WAS POSTPONED!
YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO REGISTER. TURN IN YOUR PERMISSION SLIP & MONEY TO MRS. CASKO UNTIL WED, OCT 11TH
MONDAY - OCT 9
Motivational Monday - Staff and students are encouraged to wear t-shirts that feature inspiring messages!
- 7:15am - IM Girls Basketball Practice
- 3:10pm - 7th & 8th Girls Basketball Practice
- 3:10pm - Caring Crew Meeting (Media Center)
- 3:20pm - Football Practice
TUESDAY - OCT 10
- 3:10pm - 7th & 8th Girls Basketball Practice
- 3:20pm - Football Practice
- 5:15pm - XC Meet (Firefighters Park)
WEDNESDAY - OCT 11
- 7:15am - IM Girls Basketball Practice
- 3:10pm - 7th & 8th Girls Basketball Practice
- 4:00pm - Football Game vs Larson (Away)
- 5:15pm - Cheer Practice
- 6:00pm - PTO Meeting (6:00 – 7:00pm)
THURSDAY - OCT 12
- 3:00pm - COLOR RUN/ WALK
- 3:20pm - Football Practice
- 4:00pm - 7th & 8th Girls Basketball Game vs West (Away)
FRIDAY - OCT 13
- 3:10pm - 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball Practice
- 3:20pm - Football Practice
Oct 17: Knights + 7 Period Day
Oct 18: Picture Re-Take Day
Oct 18: Parent/Teacher Conferences - In-Person (5:00 – 8:00pm)
Oct 19: Student Half Day (8:19 – 11:54am)
Oct 19: Parent/Teacher Conferences - Virtual (12:30 – 3:30pm, 5:00 – 8:00pm)
Oct 20: Student Half Day (8:19 – 11:54am)
Oct 24: 7th Grade Field Trip to Meadowbrook Theatre
Oct 24: Advanced Orchestra Spooktacular Concert
Oct 27: PTO Sponsored Dance (3:10 – 4:30pm)
Oct 30: Smith Bands Thrills & Chills Performance (7:00pm)
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
We will be using the website application Conference Manager to schedule conferences with families and teachers. Conferences this year will be conducted both in-person and virtually over Microsoft Teams.
Schedule:
- Wednesday, Oct 18 from 5:00 - 8:00pm: In-person at Smith
- Thursday, Oct 19 from 12:30 - 3:30pm: virtual / online
- Thursday, Oct 19 from 5:00 - 8:00pm: virtual / online
Links to each teacher’s virtual Teams meeting will be available on Conference Manager and on Schoology by October 17.
The process for booking individual conferences is broken into the following steps:
Step 1:
Pre-Register at: https://smithmiddle.schoolsoft.com/
You can set up a Parent Account by following the link above. Click the REGISTER NOW button and complete the registration form. Your login credentials (email and password) will remain in the system to make it easy to access the Conference Manager in the future.
If you used the system last year, then you just need to log in. If you forgot your password, you can select the “Forgot My Password” link and have it sent to you.
Step 2:
You can access the Parent Login Page using the link in the Confirmation Email. If you do not receive a Confirmation Email, you can log in by going directly to https:smithmiddle.schoolsoft.com
On October 3 at 7:00pm or after, book your Time Slots to meet with the teachers
- Select the session you want to attend (Wednesday evening in-person, Thursday afternoon virtual, Thursday evening virtual)
- Now you will see each teacher’s schedule for that session. Please try to leave five minutes after the end of one session before booking the next. For example, if a conference is from 6:00 to 6:05, please try to select the next one to start at 6:10 to give yourself time between teachers.
- After booking your appointments you will also receive an email containing the teacher name and time of each conference. You can log into the system at any time to view your bookings, print, cancel or re-schedule appointments. You also have the option of submitting comments or questions to the teacher.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the main office at 248-823-4700.
Professional Learning in Mathematics
Math teachers from our four middle schools have been coming together at Smith to learn from each other, observe their colleagues teaching, and engage with students on how they are responding to instruction. Following each classroom visit, the team reflects on the successes and challenges of the lesson, and most importantly, use their observations to plan instruction tailored to what students need next. Mrs. Rehbine and the rest of our district math specialists play a vital role in these experiences--teaching lessons and supporting teachers with their planning and assessment. This type of classroom-based learning is designed to strengthen the communities of professional practice across our district.
Paleolithic Cave Art
This week 7th grade archeologists in Mrs. Sebastian’s class explored the paleolithic era while studying early tools and cave art. Students analyzed artifacts from the Lascaux Cave in France to create their own paleolithic cave art!
Smith Caring Crew
Last Saturday, members of our Smith Caring Crew partnered with Greening of Detroit, helping to plant trees in Detroit neighborhoods. This Saturday, the Caring Crew will be at Blakes Orchard, picking apples for Forgotten Harvest. The club is open for all students to join, and we love help from our Smith families! The next student meeting will be after school in the Media Center this Monday.
Congratulations!
Congrats to 8th grader Ian Osuna Cepeda on winning the NXG Grand Prix race finale at at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second year in a row! He's the youngest racer to accomplish this feat and was featured in a recent article in the Detroit Free Press.
SMITH CHESS CLUB
We have a great online spirit wear store with a number of new modern styles and items for purchase. You can either pick them up or utilize the option of having your orders delivered directly to your home for a small fee.
Click on the link below to check out the wide variety of styles and prints.
https://smithknights.itemorder.com/shop/home/
Below is a sample of the logo choices for most items...
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What time is my student's lunch?
- A lunch: 11:21 - 11:51am
- B lunch: 11:55 am - 12:25 pm
- C lunch: 12:28 pm - 12:58 pm